Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Falling Like A Rock, latest book from award-winning writer, Bonnie McCune

Prism Book Group News!

www.prismbookgroup.com

Watch out for falling rock! A mountain town and its rugged mayor captivate a woman in search of a new life and love.

Unloved
and unemployed. That’s Elaine Svoboda, after she’s sacked, then flees
across country to her boyfriend who drops her flat. Teetering on the
abyss of disaster, she calls an old friend who invites her to a tiny
mountain town with fresh prospects. There she meets rugged, hunky Joe
Richter-Leon, mayor of Falling Rock. Maybe he can help her find a job.
Maybe they can become friends, even share romance. Sparks fly
immediately, but major obstacles make a new life on the ashes of the old
appear impossible. Joe’s consumed with challenges like the dismal local
economy and an impetuous sister. Elaine butts heads with him at every
turn in the rocky road. Is the problem her bungling attempts to help? Or
does she remind him of a greedy, selfish ex-wife? Before they can build
a new life on the ashes of the old, she must overcome a few obstacles
like a broken ankle, an eating disturbance, his stubbornness, and her
own fears. She’s smothering her hopes when a battle with a forest
inferno illuminates their true feelings and desire. Funny and frank,
poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they
learn surrender sometimes means victory.

$3.99 Ebook

Available through these popular eBook retailers & more!

(Click to follow link)

Watch out for falling rock! A mountain town and its rugged mayor captivate a woman in search of a new life and love.

Unloved
and unemployed. That’s Elaine Svoboda, after she’s sacked, then flees
across country to her boyfriend who drops her flat. Teetering on the
abyss of disaster, she calls an old friend who invites her to a tiny
mountain town with fresh prospects. There she meets rugged, hunky Joe
Richter-Leon, mayor of Falling Rock. Maybe he can help her find a job.
Maybe they can become friends, even share romance. Sparks fly
immediately, but major obstacles make a new life on the ashes of the old
appear impossible. Joe’s consumed with challenges like the dismal local
economy and an impetuous sister. Elaine butts heads with him at every
turn in the rocky road. Is the problem her bungling attempts to help? Or
does she remind him of a greedy, selfish ex-wife? Before they can build
a new life on the ashes of the old, she must overcome a few obstacles
like a broken ankle, an eating disturbance, his stubbornness, and her
own fears. She’s smothering her hopes when a battle with a forest
inferno illuminates their true feelings and desire. Funny and frank,
poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they
learn surrender sometimes means victory.

$3.99 Ebook

Available through these popular eBook retailers & more!

(Click to follow link)

$11.99 Print

EXCERPT

The
movement now wasn’t rocking but more like a grind. A slowness. A
shiver. She knew she had to leave the main road and find help. She
swerved onto a pull-off that appeared as if by a miracle, turned off the
motor, and sank into the seat. In all directions she saw flat monotone
prairie. If spring was about to arrive, no sign of it blossomed here. An
occasional bush of greenish sagebrush nodded, but most of the landscape
consisted of earth-toned dirt and dirt-toned pebbles scoured by a
constant wind, which threw a thin top layer of particles hither and yon.

What she knew about
auto mechanics fit on a matchbook cover. She’d been shown where to fill
up on gas and wiper fluid, and that was the extent of it. She flicked
the ignition off and on several times, peered at the dashboard, even
popped the hood. Nothing looked out of place or broken.

She returned to the
driver’s seat to think and worry her tooth with her tongue. It wasn’t
safe to sit out here alone, and dismal warnings from her parents to
never trust a casual passerby in a situation like this darted in her
mind. So she hauled out her cell phone. No service. She slumped in her
seat.

The plains spread
horizon to horizon around her, and an appreciation rose in her for the
courage and hard work of the pioneers who had traveled one slow step at a
time over an endless landscape to reach their new homes. At least
nowadays an asphalt ribbon transversed the plateau. On the road an
occasional semi whooshed past, rattling her vehicle as it traveled. One
trucker slowed to a crawl and honked, but by the time she decided he was
offering help, he’d disappeared.

She
twisted her brain in knots to find some way to save herself. Surely if
she were careful, stayed in her car and blinked her lights and beeped,
someone should rescue her. Perhaps she should wait until a woman
stopped, but another female would be as afraid to pull over as she to
chance an encounter.

Clouds began to build
in gray billows, flowed from west en route the east, and the sun plunged
toward twilight. If anything terrified her more than an appeal to a
stranger for assistance, it was spending the night out here in the open.
In her rearview mirror, a battered Land Rover appeared, and almost on
impulse, Elaine switched on her hazard lights and leaned on the horn.

The vehicle slowed but
didn’t stop. Not until it was some yards down the road. Next a tall,
lean figure climbed out, the engine still in operation. A man dressed in
jeans, ski jacket, and a black Stetson. Elaine would have laughed if
she hadn’t been worried about the security of the car door locks. She
was in the West now. It made sense for a cowboy to show up.

He approached with
careful deliberation, halting a few feet from her, and she rolled her
window down several inches and studied him in case she had to describe
him later to the authorities. Not particularly suave or polished, but
certainly with the rugged strength typically associated with cowboy
types. Dark, as if he spent time outside or had some Mediterranean or
Latino ancestors. A prominent nose, off-centered, perhaps from being
bashed once too often.

“Need help, ma’am?”

www.prismbookgroup.com

$11.99 Print

EXCERPT

The
movement now wasn’t rocking but more like a grind. A slowness. A
shiver. She knew she had to leave the main road and find help. She
swerved onto a pull-off that appeared as if by a miracle, turned off the
motor, and sank into the seat. In all directions she saw flat monotone
prairie. If spring was about to arrive, no sign of it blossomed here. An
occasional bush of greenish sagebrush nodded, but most of the landscape
consisted of earth-toned dirt and dirt-toned pebbles scoured by a
constant wind, which threw a thin top layer of particles hither and yon.

What
she knew about auto mechanics fit on a matchbook cover. She’d been
shown where to fill up on gas and wiper fluid, and that was the extent
of it. She flicked the ignition off and on several times, peered at the
dashboard, even popped the hood. Nothing looked out of place or broken.

She
returned to the driver’s seat to think and worry her tooth with her
tongue. It wasn’t safe to sit out here alone, and dismal warnings from
her parents to never trust a casual passerby in a situation like this
darted in her mind. So she hauled out her cell phone. No service. She
slumped in her seat.

The
plains spread horizon to horizon around her, and an appreciation rose
in her for the courage and hard work of the pioneers who had traveled
one slow step at a time over an endless landscape to reach their new
homes. At least nowadays an asphalt ribbon transversed the plateau. On
the road an occasional semi whooshed past, rattling her vehicle as it
traveled. One trucker slowed to a crawl and honked, but by the time she
decided he was offering help, he’d disappeared.

She
twisted her brain in knots to find some way to save herself. Surely if
she were careful, stayed in her car and blinked her lights and beeped,
someone should rescue her. Perhaps she should wait until a woman
stopped, but another female would be as afraid to pull over as she to
chance an encounter.

Clouds
began to build in gray billows, flowed from west en route the east, and
the sun plunged toward twilight. If anything terrified her more than an
appeal to a stranger for assistance, it was spending the night out here
in the open. In her rearview mirror, a battered Land Rover appeared,
and almost on impulse, Elaine switched on her hazard lights and leaned
on the horn.

The
vehicle slowed but didn’t stop. Not until it was some yards down the
road. Next a tall, lean figure climbed out, the engine still in
operation. A man dressed in jeans, ski jacket, and a black Stetson.
Elaine would have laughed if she hadn’t been worried about the security
of the car door locks. She was in the West now. It made sense for a
cowboy to show up.

He
approached with careful deliberation, halting a few feet from her, and
she rolled her window down several inches and studied him in case she
had to describe him later to the authorities. Not particularly suave or
polished, but certainly with the rugged strength typically associated
with cowboy types. Dark, as if he spent time outside or had some
Mediterranean or Latino ancestors. A prominent nose, off-centered,
perhaps from being bashed once too often.

“Need help, ma’am?”

www.prismbookgroup.com

Jacqueline Hopper resides in her father’s boyhood village in Atlantic Canada. During her free time, when she’s not catering to her cats with treats and cuddles, she reads to gain knowledge, cleans her apartment to maintain order, and writes for pleasure. Though she’s been writing from the age of ten, the publication of her short story Listening To Crows was her first step toward becoming a full-time author.
You can find Jacqueline’s books on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007BFFPX4